daily news and photography about cacti and succulents and some carnivorous plants too

Playing with Cactus

Musicians have been playing with cactus ever since John Cage wrote a piece for cactus many years ago. Probably people were playing cactus even longer ago than that, but there you go – John Cage gets all the credit.

instruments such as marimba and snare drum, but nothing captures attention like playing the spines of a cactus in a pot….

As strange as it may sound to others, Farkas said, cactus playing is a thing in the percussion world — mostly thanks to avant-garde composer and music theorist John Cage. Cage’s “Child of Tree,” composed in 1975, uses instruments made of plant materials, including the cactus.

Best if all this particular article comes with instructions! Now you can know how to play the cactus yourself!

How to Play the Cactus

1. Get a cactus with long, evenly spread spines.

2. Make a contact microphone using a piezoelectric transducer, plug it into an amplifier and attach it to one of the cactus spines.

3. Use your fingers or other objects to pluck or rub the spines to create sound. Bonus points for rhythm without injury.